Aza Ray has been drowning for her entire life, afflicted with an incurable disease that baffles her doctors. Thérèse Plummer’s emotional narration, drawing forth both Aza’s world-weary realism and her snarky attitude, will elicit a strong emotional response from listeners. However, it’s Michael Crouch’s embodiment of Aza’s neurotic best friend, Jason, that steals the show when Aza dies just before her sixteenth birthday. When Aza awakens in a new body, in a new strange world, the alternating chapters from Jason’s perspective ground the story, allowing listeners to slowly adjust to the alien world-building elements. As Aza struggles to understand her new identity and learns to harness her new abilities, fantasy fans will be fascinated with the inventive Magonian world.
. (Fantasy. 13-15)Pub Date: April 28, 2015
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062365828
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Nassif gives an emotional voice to survivors of bullying.
Victoria Nassif narrates this story of magic, grief, and racism. Syrian American Jihad Dabbagh enters a private school in her senior year of high school, and she hopes to attend an art school for college. Her name and the hijab she wears make her the target of dangerous bullies. To cope, she draws in a magical sketchbook, telling the story of her deceased mother’s journey from Syria to the U.S. Nassif relates Jihad’s story beautifully, taking her from a shy, introverted teen to a strong Muslim woman willing to call out bullies for their behavior. Her Arabic pronunciations lend authenticity to this story, helping to bring Jihad’s world to life, and she’s equally adept with the pretentious accents of the privileged white students at the academy.
Nassif gives an emotional voice to survivors of bullying. (Fabulism. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 46 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668657515
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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